Since Premier Li Keqiang proposed mass entrepreneurship and innovation at the 2014 Summer Davos in Tianjin, China has been at the forefront of a booming age of technology, entrepreneurship, venture capital and innovation. Entrepreneurship has been viewed as a new engine for China’s economic growth and countless women have actively taken on various roles to leverage this trend.

The number of women involved in science, technology, entrepreneurship, and venture capital has increased in the past few years, and many now hold senior positions in tech, science and venture capital companies. Today women are leading scientific research, and actively seeking out and investing in frontier technologies. Concurrently, globalization has elevated innovation to a new level. There is now more frequent close collaboration between the United States and China in areas such as capital investment, research and development.

In the face of these trends, women need to understand their advantages and disadvantages, learn new skillsets to grow personally and professionally, and develop a mindset that will allow them to reach their full potential. This forum has been designed with the theme Empowering Women in Tech and Investment, and we hope it will provide a platform to discuss and solve the problems that women leaders are facing today.

Female take up to 60% of fresh college graduates in America. Many of them graduate with STEM degrees, especially those studied in elite universities (female students take 1/3 of engineering degrees in Stanford). More women are stepping into technology and entrepreneurship.

Topics:

Does China have similar trend as described above?

How do women in tech fight against traditional stereotype and succeed?

What go-to resources can women seek support from?

What role do female leaders play in tech and startup industries?

11:30-12:30

Moderator: Professor Lee , Jean S K

Guest speakers:

Daisy Deng, Co-founder of Doumi Part-time

Gu, Yinan, CEO of YunChang Network Technology

Wan, Min, CEO of BestSign.cn

Wang, Xiaoyu, Founder of CastBox

Du, Haiyan, Founder of Amoby

12:30-14:00

Lunch + Small Group Discussion
10 delegates per group. Each group will discuss 6 topics.

Eva Law, Founder & Chairman at Association of Family Offices in Asia and Association of Private Bankers in Greater China Region

Hua, Lei, President of Maipu International

Roundtable Discussion 3：Female leadership in different organizations

In the 2017 fortune 500 list, there are 32 female CEOs on the list. Figures from the world bank show that China's female labor force accounted for 43.8% of the workforce in 2016. The 2016 data from the international business survey shows that female executives of mainland enterprises account for 25% of the total. The emergence of modern technology has made the social structure more flat. Social media has become a powerful tool for women to express themselves freely and make their voices heard. Women's roles are increasingly prominent in politics, business and academia.

Topics:

What kind of characteristics/advantages women leaders have in the enterprise management?

What is your viewpoint on traditional prejudice on women in the workplace?

What kind of challenges do professional women face, and how to cope with the pressures and achieve success?

What kind of an impact does female leadership plays in the business environment?

Eva Law, Founder & Chairman at Association of Family Offices in Asia and Association of Private Bankers in Greater China Region

Conclusion Dialogue

Increasingly businesses around the world has recognized the importance of having women in business at all levels and are taking active steps to make careers for women more attractive. Business school on the other hand also plays a key role in promoting gender diversity by identifying, admitting and preparing next generation of female business leaders. Today the percentage of women in MBA programs varies quite significantly but hovers between 25 and 35 percent, according to the Financial Times top 100. While some schools have as few as 13 percent, others are now past 50 percent. While progress is slowly being made, there is still a long way to go.

Topics:

Concluding remarks on the forum

How to increase the number of female role models in business education?